Cool Waters: City of Medford partners with landowners to help shade Rogue River

July 14, 2013

Medford Mail Tribune — July 14, 2013

RUCH — Fall chinook salmon spawn in the sunny stretch of the Applegate River that runs through Red Lily Vineyards, much to the delight of visitors sipping the winery’s signature tempranillo.

If all goes as planned, future runs of chinook will have it made in the shade at Red Lily to the tune of 28 million kcals. That’s the calculated amount of sunlight energy this stretch of Applegate will no longer absorb once Red Lily’s former field of Himalayan blackberries is replaced by thousands of tall, native trees casting their protective shadows onto the river.

And it’s not costing vineyard owners Les and Rachel Martin a nickel. The city of Medford is footing the bill, even paying the Martins about $1,000 a year over 20 years for hosting it.